I OBVIOUSLY need to get the heck out of here and move to Devon! WOW! - That kind of stuff happened to me when I was a young lad - but that's been thirty years ago! That's one of the reasons I got a start in this business .... the absolute kindness of the "Old Fellers" who'd help me along, give me advice, loan me a tool or two and buy me the occasional beer!

It's a rare enough thing these days isn't it? Trust and generosity - pass it on and let's keep the ball rolling. There's a good deal of it here on this forum I'd say.Beers waiting Bob. Give us a shout when you get here.....

I had the same problem with the G5, I found a product from Loctite, I think it was called Formathread or something similar. You simply mix two even parts of the paste together, put some hardner on the drain plug, put the paste compound inside the drain hole and screw the drain plug back in, Leave it about an hour then tighten the plug right up. This allows you to drain the oil in the normal manner rather than sealing it up and using the filter plate to drain the oil, glad you got it sorted.

Yes a happy ending indeed - not nearly such a problem as it first appeared. I had no idea such a quick and simple fix was possible. I never thought I'd be back into mechanic-ing after so long - and being back into motorbiking after even longer would be way more frought without this forum, for which I am truly grateful. My bike education progresses in leaps and bounds Andy, I'm up a lane off a lane in the South Hams - three miles from Totnes, a great little town where all the old hippies live. I'm often down in Cornwall, north coast, and had a great ride across Dartmoor yesterday afternoon. A Royal Enfield, new oil and polished chrome, Dartmoor in September - have I died and gone to heaven?

I'd put my hand up if I thought I'd been the cause, but like I said, I was suspicious of this plug from the outset. First time I changed the oil I noticed it was strangely tight to UNscrew, and hard to get it to bite to screw back on. Whether it came from the factory like it or whether it was done at the first service, I don't know. I know I made a mental note last oil change to leave it alone and drain only from the gauze plate, but I forgot! Not guilty. I know about torque. Honest guv.....

Years ago my wife (happened before we were dating) had a Ford Torino with a cross-threaded and stripped oil pan drain. By way of repair, someone had replaced the drain plug with a purpose-made oversized self-tapping plug that was screwed in to the oil pan hole one time only. In the center of this plug was a tapped hold for an even smaller plug that was made like a conventional pipe plug. You removed the pipe plug to drain the oil, and left the repair plug in place.

I thought that was a really trick way to repair the problem. Only problem is that I can't seem to find anything similar any longer.

Logged

Remember, when riding a horse, you are not actually in charge, but are just another voting member.

Another emergency thing to do -instead of JB Weld- is make a compression plug.

You use a pieece of hose or a rubber stopper drilled out. One end has the head and a washer, the other end has the a washer, a castlated washer, and the nut. The castleated washer keeps the nut from turning as you turn the bolt head and as it tightens, the washers squeeze the rubber out so it makes a seal.

Hopefully, you get to the heli-coil or time-sert before the plug becomes one with the drain plug making the Vulcan Mind Meld look like a casual encounter.